Efficacy of new drug-resistant tuberculosis drug bedaquiline

In a major study of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, which affects the lungs, bedaquiline (Bedaquiline) was compared with a placebo (a dummy treatment) added to a combination treatment with other standard tuberculosis drugs. Key studiesshow that bedaquiline increased the number of patients who tested negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and shortened the average time it took to clear the bacteria from sputum.

The study showed thatAfter 24 weeks, 79% of patients (52 out of 66 patients) who took bedaquiline tested negative for bacteria in their sputum (phlegm), compared with 58% (38 out of 66 patients) of those who took a placebo. The average time it took for patients in the bedaquiline group to clear bacteria from their sputum was also shorter than that of patients in the placebo group (83 days vs. 125 days). Bedaquiline has been shown to be processed in children in the same way as adults; therefore, it may also be expected to be effective in treating TB in children. In addition, bedaquiline is the first new drug to which cross-resistance has not yet developed.

The drug is marketed in China as bedaquiline fumarate tablets and has been included in the scope of medical insurance. The common specificationsThe price of 100mg*24 tablets per box may be around 10,000 yuan, which is relatively expensive. The Russian version of bedaquiline sold overseas, Specification100mg*188 tablets per box, may cost around RMB 15,000 (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). The pharmaceutical ingredients of bedaquiline sold domestically and abroad are basically the same, and there are currently no generic bedaquiline drugs on the market. For specific prices and drug information of overseas drugs, please consult Yaode Medical Consultant.